


telling ron.

by niamhies



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Hinny, Post War, Post canon, hinny proposal, mentioned ronmione
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:21:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29756097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niamhies/pseuds/niamhies
Summary: Harry wants to ask Ginny to marry him, but he needs a little extra reassurance that she'll accept, so he takes a trip to his best friend, Ron Weasley's house, to see what he thinks.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Kudos: 16





	telling ron.

Harry sat down in the seat opposite Ron, jigging his leg up and down in an involuntary manner. He accepted the piping hot cup of tea from his friend with thanks and blew the top of the drink to cool it down quicker.

“So,” Ron began, his mildly concerned eyes on Harry, “what brings you here this late at night? Not that I mind, of course.” 

Looking up reluctantly from his mug, Harry glanced at Ron, the nervous lump in his throat hard to ignore. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to figure out the best way to word what he wanted to say, but found himself coming up short each time.

He hadn’t told anyone this, and in fact hadn’t originally planned to tell Ron either. But the more he thought about it, the more Harry could picture the angry look on his friend’s face, betrayed that he had not confided in him, as he had with Harry two years before.

It had been quite the surprise to most when Ron had proposed to Hermione at just twenty-one years old – most of the Weasley’s had been expecting them to be one of the last to tie the knot, at least before Harry and Ginny – though the announcement was met with many happy tears and cries of joy. Ron had been the first one to tell Harry of his plans, asking him if he thought it was a sensible idea, whether he thought Hermione would say yes, and if he’d go ring shopping with him. 

And Harry had been over the moon, genuinely happy for his two best friends, even more so when Hermione accepted instantly, and Ron had asked him to be his best man. It had been stupid really, that he had not expected it – because who else was as close to Ron as he was? But still, when the question was proposed to him, Harry’s heart had filled with disbelief, and later on a swelling amount of pride, and even he couldn’t stop himself from crying a little.

Harry and Ginny had talked about the future many a times, about marriage, family, growing old… When they had their first conversation about little Potter’s wreaking havoc in Grimmauld Place with Kreacher running after them, cleaning utensils in hand, a mass of messy black hair and warm brown eyes, Harry could scarcely believe that the future they were talking about was quite possibly not just empty words. 

He had never envisioned a future without the impending threat of Tom Riddle always lurking nearby, he had always been so caught up in the moment, that he never allowed himself to think of a distant future where he had survived. So, when in fact he did make it past the traumatic years of his teens, Harry wasn’t quite sure what to do.

The only thing he had ever been sure post war of was Ginny Weasley. Not only the love of his life, but his friend, his companion, his future. The future was still a blur to Harry, there were still Death Eaters to track down, still never-ending threats he would have to deal with all his life, but in the midst of all that, there, bright as day, was Ginny.

During a particularly cold night in February mere months ago, with the two of them pressed tightly together in the hopes of sharing their body heat with one another, Ginny had prosed a question to him.

“Do you ever think about marrying me?”

Eyebrows raised; Harry looked down at her. He had to admire her straight forwardness. She had her cheek pressed against his bare chest, so Harry could not see her, or the blush that crept upon her cheeks, so Harry was forced to answer truthfully, without knowing what her reaction would be. “Often,” he told her quietly, kissing the top of her head.

Ginny seemed to take a sharp intake of breath, and turned her head to look at him, her lips parted slightly. “Really?”

Harry smiled a little at her uncharacteristic serious demeanour and nodded, pushing away the hint of nerves that was threatening to bubble in his stomach. Years of rejection were cursing him for telling her, and being so open, and warned him to be prepared when she finally woke up and realised what a fool she had been to ever love him. “How could I not?” his voice cracked at the end, suddenly feeling self-conscious, and he adverted his eyes from her intense ones.

Ginny seemed to notice the change in his attitude, and she shuffled a little, bring her hand up to cup his cheek and forced him to look at her. Her eyes were gentle and understanding. “I love you, Harry,” she had said, unsaid insecurities passing back and forth between them by means of eye contact.

Harry’s heart soared; he was sure he would never grow tired of hearing those words. “I love you so much, Gin,” he had replied, and kissed her sweetly.

She had fallen asleep not long after that, but Harry laid awake most of the night, images of Ginny in white, walking down the aisle to meet him with the biggest smiles of both of their faces as he took her hands and vowed to love her for the rest of his life…

Harry wondered if she would take his last name, not that it would matter if she decided to stay with Weasley – but a small part of him jolted in excitement whenever he put the words Ginny and Potter next to each other.

Forcing himself back to the present, he saw that Ron was watching him expectantly, and Harry vaguely pondered how long they had sat in silence. Taking a deep breath, Harry let go of his worries, and hoped that what he was about to say wouldn’t earn him a swift punch to the face.

“I-I’m going to ask Ginny to marry me.”

Ron’s eyebrows shot up so high they blended in with his hairline, wrinkles of worry etched on his forehead. Silence overcame them, as Ron’s face went through a flurry of expression – surprise, disbelief, suspicion, joy…

“You- … what?” breathed Ron, his brows knitted together. 

Harry swallowed a large portion of his drink to delay having to speak. When he set his mug down again, he stared at his hands, unable to face whatever Ron’s expression was.

“I’m going to ask Ginny to marry me,” he repeated, much more quietly. “I wanted to tell you first, see what you thought…” 

Moments of tranquillity passed by as the two of them sat, without speaking. Harry, who’s cheeks were burning scarlet, was just beginning to realise the reality of the situation. Surely Ron’s silence was an indicator to his answer, an answer that Harry had not hoped for.

He was not marrying Ron, he knew that. Harry was not trying to be a noble prat by asking permission for Ginny’s hand in marriage, he knew very well she didn’t need anyone to look after her. But still, Harry valued Ron’s opinion greatly, and if he wasn’t a hundred percent on board with the idea… well, Harry wasn’t sure what he would do.

“Does anyone else know?” asked Ron, finally breaking the silence.

Harry shook his head, not convinced that his voice wouldn’t betray him. This was it; Ron was going to tell him what a ridiculous idea it was, and that Ginny would never want to marry him. He was going to tell him to drop the subject, and never even think about it again… But then he heard the scraping of a chair, and Ron pulled Harry up to his feet, forcing him to look him in the eye.

It came to a great surprise to Harry when he saw Ron’s blue eyes filled with tears, and even more of a surprise when the taller man pulled him into a crushing hug.

Glasses crooked, Harry stuttered, “Ron – I- What-“

“You’re being serious, right? You’re really going to ask her?” asked Ron, pulling away so he could face Harry.

Feeling incredibly ashamed of his previous thoughts, Harry nodded, a little dazed. “Well- Yeah, if… if you reckon it’s a good idea.”

“A good idea? Harry, it’s the greatest idea you’ve ever had!” cried Ron, beaming.

Momentarily shook, Harry gazed at his best friend, trying to comprehend what he was saying. Ron approved… he hadn’t punched him…

“You’re not taking the mick? You really think I should?”

Roaring with laughter, Ron shook his head enthusiastically. “Of course, Harry! I’m surprised it took you this long, really. You’ve been whipped for Ginny for years. And you’ll be like- like part of my family. Well, you already have been for years, you know that, but still… it’ll be official now. Mum will be over the moon! We’ll be brothers.” 

The words Ron had just spoken affected Harry much more than he let on. Heart bursting with acceptance, Harry tried to contain his smile, fearing that if it became too wide it might split his face in two. “Yeah… brothers,” he said absentmindedly, thinking of how his eleven-year-old self would react if someone had said these words to him then. He hugged Ron again, feeling incredibly grateful he had such a good friend. 

“So, have you got a ring yet?” Ron questioned when they broke apart and took their seats.

Harry shook his head. “No, I er- I was actually wondering if you would help me. The one you got Hermione was really nice, you know. You’ve got an eye for that sort of thing. “

“Hm, I suppose I do, don’t I?” said Ron, looking very pleased with himself. 

“Or,” Harry began, a little uncertain, “I was thinking of going through my vault at Gringotts – see if my parents’ rings are there. I think Gin might like that…” He thought back to all the moments he had shared with Ginny, and all the little things he had told her about his parents. He didn’t know much, but Ginny seemed eager to listen, all the same, and perhaps she would feel touched if he got her something that was more sentimental than a regular ring, something that showed how serious he was about forming a family with her.

“I’ve got the day off tomorrow, we can have a look in there, then?” said Ron, his voice sincere.

“All right,” said Harry, grinning. His mind was racing with scenarios of him proposing to Ginny, and her accepting, her ring finger no longer bare. “Do- do you think she’ll say yes?” Harry mentioned, self-doubt creeping in.

Ron scoffed loudly. “You’re really asking me that? You could’ve asked her when you were sixteen and I bet she would’ve said yes in a heartbeat. Haven’t you seen the way she looks at you?” 

Harry had seen the way she looked at him, how could he not? With her vibrant, brown eyes so full of life and energy, gazing into his own like he was the only thing she could see in a field of fogging uncertainty. And the way she touched him, with a mixture of delicacy and urgency at the same time, that sent the hairs on his skin stiffening under her fingertips.

Harry loved her so much, more than anything else in the entire universe, and prayed to the heavens that this time next year, they’d be tying the knot in blissful happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> hi, hope you all enjoyed reading this little one shot! i really liked writing this, and hope i did ron and harry's friendship justice. feel free to comment your thoughts if you'd like :)
> 
> also, i'd just like to say that i don't support jkr or any of her transphobic views. if you agree with her, then please don't continue to read my works, thanks.


End file.
